Shapeshifter
14th August 2021
Spark Arena, Auckland, New Zealand.
Review by Lauren Sanderson. Photography by Doug Peters.
Shapeshifter has been the soundtrack of our summer for years, headlining tours and selling out festivals across Aotearoa. They returned last night to rid us of our winter blues and to shake up Spark Arena to celebrate the release of their 7th studio album Rituals.
If their performances over the last year are anything to go by, we know that we were in for an epic night of musical wizardry and a darn good time. Showing winter who’s boss, Shapeshifter is proving that the party season is certainly not over as they brought the much-needed feel-good vibes to Spark, where a sell-out arena awaited and eager fans embraced the chillier night to gather in anticipation.
Auckland Rapper JessB kicked off the night, warming up the crowd with her high-energy hip-hop performance followed by Lee Mvtthews, aka the dynamic duo Graham Matthews and Tom Lee, who brought their infectious electronic beats to the arena. Like Shapeshifter the duo have been captivating audiences all summer, having become a favorite in the New Zealand festival circuit. They certainly had the crowd pumped from the get go and ready for the night ahead.
After a swift transition, Shapeshifter took to the stage and as soon as the the sweet harmonic symphonies of ‘Stars’ drifted in, I was automatically transported back to my happy place – the main stage at Splore Festival earlier this year, were Shapeshifter delivered a powerhouse performance. The rush of excitement for the night ahead was now very apparent and the crowd were attentive to the bands every need.
Although we were there to celebrate the release of Rituals, the night was a celebration of their music in general as they delivered a delicate mix of tracks both old and new. Frontman PDiggs certainly brought the energy, creating a contagious vitality that had the crowd bouncing along to the alluring beats. “Let’s celebrate life through the power of music” he says, before launching into ‘Eternal’ – and that’s exactly what we did.
Each track rolled off the next, creating a mammoth reel of music as they showcased new track ‘Found In You’. ‘Ritual’ followed – a track that has been making waves all summer and brought a contagious energy to the arena, you couldn’t help but raise your arms and move your body to the hypnotic beat.
Shapeshifter consists of PDigsss (vocals), Sam Trevethick (guitar/synths/sampler), Dan McGruer (synths/sampler), Nick Robinson (bass/synths) and Darren Mathiassen (drums), who each play their part to deliver something unique to the set. They are masters of their trade and they prove time and time again why they’re New Zealand’s premiere live electronic outfit.
‘The Roxxy’ was up next, which highlights the many elements to Shapeshifters music, the use of electric guitar certainly brought a rock element to the set. Yes, they are predominantly known for their electronic, drum n bass beats but their music is also a distinctive blend of jazz, funk and rock, which again highlights the many talents of the band.
‘Duttchies’ was a crowd favourite and had Spark Arena lit up, while closing number ‘Monarch’ had us hook, line and sinker from the very beginning. Of course, we wanted more so the chants began and thankfully we were able to listen to them a little while longer as they returned to play new track ‘Life’ and ended the night on a high with ‘In Colour’. The night ended just as it started with hands thrown into the air and smiles on faces.
PDigsss said “it’s been an honour” but the honour was all ours. Shapeshifter really are musical magicians who have been wowing audiences for over 20 years. They’ve brought happiness to a time of utter chaos for many in the past year and we can only thank them for continuing to bring us their talent.
Until next time, boys!
Were you there at Spark Arena for this epic album release party? Or have you seen Shapeshifter perform live somewhere else? Tell us about it in the comments below!
Shapeshifter Set List:
- Stars
- Eternal
- Found In You
- Ritual
- Lightspeed
- Futures
- Break Me Down
- The Roxxy
- Dutchies
- Twin Galaxies
- Ricochet
- Assorted Medley
- One
- Monarch
- Life [encore]
- In Colour [encore]
Note: Shapeshifter provided passes to Ambient Light to review and photograph this concert. As always, this has not influenced the review in any way and the opinions expressed are those of Ambient Light’s only. This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase a product using an affiliate link, Ambient Light will automatically receive a small commission at no cost to you.
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